This invention relates to a transmission housing, or more specifically, to a transmission housing having an intermediate wall with an integral pump assembly.
Transmissions have lubrication systems that circulate lubricating fluid within the transmission housing to various transmission components to reduce the friction of those components and lower the temperature of the transmission. The lubrication system may be discussed in terms of three main portions: the collection system, the distribution system, and the pump which draws fluid from the collection system and moves it through the distribution system.
Typically, these three portions utilize many separate components which adds cost to the transmission. For example, prior art lubrication systems utilize pump assemblies that have a separate housing which are attached as a separate unit to a portion of the housing, such as the intermediate wall between a main and auxiliary portion of the housing. The pumps have an inlet chamber that is in fluid communication with the sump via oil collection passages and an outlet chamber in fluid communication with the distribution system via oil distribution passages. Often these passages are formed by tubes that are supported by the housing externally of the intermediate wall. Therefore, what is needed is a pump assembly and oil passages that are integral with the transmission housing so that the pump housing and other components may be eliminated while still achieving a robust lubrication system design.